There is known a connector which, in order to connect a plate-like connection object, has a rotatable operating member in a housing holding contacts. In this connector, the connection object is inserted at a predetermined position of the housing in the state where the operating member is in its initial open position. Thereafter, the operating member is rotated from its initial open position to its connecting position, thereby establishing connection between the connection object and the contacts. With this configuration, an insertion force of the connection object can be made small and further a force required for operating the operating member can also be made small.
Connectors of this type are classified into two types in terms of an operating direction of the operating member. One is the type in which the operating member is rotated to the side opposite to an insertion opening for the connection object (hereinafter referred to as a “rear-flip type”). The other is the type in which the operating member is rotated to the insertion opening side for the connection object (hereinafter referred to as a “front-flip type”) as disclosed in JP-A-2001-143827 (hereinafter referred to as “Patent Document 1”).
The connector of the rear-flip type has a drawback that since the insertion opening for the connection object is defined to be narrow by the housing, the insertability of the connection object is poor. On the other hand, the connector of the front-flip type is excellent in the insertability of the connection object because the insertion opening is largely open when the operating member is in its initial open position, but has a problem that this type of connector is generally weak against warping of the inserted connection object (i.e. movement of a part of the inserted connection object in its thickness direction).
Herein, referring to FIG. 1, the connector disclosed in Patent Document 1 will be briefly described.
A connector of FIG. 1 comprises contacts 1, a housing 2 holding the contacts 1, and an operating member 3. The operating member 3 integrally has shaft portions 4 rotatably engaging the housing 2. The housing 2 has guide grooves 5 and engaging grooves 6 which respectively follow the guide grooves 5. The contacts 1 and the engaging grooves 6 cooperate to rotatably support the operating member 3.
A plate-like connection object (not illustrated) is inserted from an insertion opening 7 of the housing 2. In this event, end portions of the connection object are inserted into the guide grooves 5. When the operating member 3 is rotated to the insertion opening 7 side after the connection object is inserted at a predetermined position, the connection object is pressed against the contacts 1.
Since the end portions of the connection object are inserted into the guide grooves 5, projections 8 each defining the width of the guide groove 5 serve to prevent warping of the connection object.